NAME

       yodlmanpage - Yodl’s `manpage’ document type

SYNOPSIS

       The  manpage  document  type  was  specifically  implemented to write Unix-style manual pages. Other Yodl
       document formats, such as article, report and book are documented in the Yodl guide and  in  the  manpage
       for yodlmacros.

DESCRIPTION

       This manual page briefly describes the manpage document type of the Yodl document language. This document
       type is specific enough that it warrants a separate manpage.

       Yodl mapage documents can be converted to `groff’  documents  (using  `yodl2man’),  to  `html’  documents
       (using `yodl2html’), or to plain ascii text documents (using `yodl2txt’).

       manpage  documents  do  not use the `standard’ sectioning commands (e.g., sect() and subsect()), but have
       specific manpage...() macros.  You can however use (and are encouraged to..) other `normal’ macros,  such
       as  description(...)  or  itemization(...)  for lists, or bf() for boldface and em() for emphasis. As for
       fonts, the following is suggested:

       o      Use em(text) when text is a variable, or a placeholder, etc..

       o      Use bf(text) when text is literal, such as a command,  a  filename,  a  directory.   Each  manpage
              document in Yodl must be organized as follows:

       o      manpage(name) (section) (date) (package) (source): This is the preamble of the document. It states
              whatever the page describes, the section where it belongs, the release date, the package  that  it
              belongs  to,  and the source of the package.  The section number should be (according to the Linux
              manpage on man): 1 for commands, 2 for system calls, 3 for library calls, 4 for special  files,  5
              for  file  formats,  6  for  games,  7 for macro packages and conventions, 8 for system management
              commands, and 9 for other special subjects (e.g., kernel commands).

       o      manpagename(name) (short description):  The  name  is  again  whatever  is  described,  the  short
              description is what e.g., the whatis database uses for descriptions.

       o      manpagesynopsis():  a very short `usage’ information or similar.  Keep this section short, e.g., a
              line with all program options is acceptable but without descriptions (these come later).

       o      manpagedescription(): the purpose of the program and such.  This is also the place to document the
              workings.

       o      manpageoptions():  This  is  the  place  to  document  e.g.  the  flags  that  are  stated  in the
              manpagesynopsis(). This section is optional, but when present, must appear at this place.

       o      manpagefiles(): relevant files are described in this section.

       o      manpageseealso(): this section lists related manual pages.

       o      manpagediagnostics(): Error conditions, error messages, etc..

       o      manpagebugs(): This is where known bugs are described. This section is optional.

       o      manpageauthor(): stating the author and/or the maintainer.

       o      manpagesection(NAME): This macro starts a generic, non-required section. E.g., you  might  want  a
              manpagesection(EXAMPLES)  in  your  document.  As a typographic suggestion, use upper case for the
              NAME argument for consistency reasons.

SEE ALSO

       yodl(1), yodlbuiltins(7), yodlconverters(1), yodlletter(7), yodlmacros(7), yodlpost(1), yodlstriproff(1),
       yodltables(7), yodlverbinsert(1).

BUGS

       -

AUTHOR

       Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl),